


Ignorance

by freshiiiee



Category: Caduceus | Trauma Center Series
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Interracial Relationship, Racism, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-23 12:56:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18152147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freshiiiee/pseuds/freshiiiee
Summary: After a meeting with Markus's father goes awry, Markus learns from Valerie how her struggles made her the person she is today, and how they will move forward in their relationship.





	Ignorance

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this while I was frustrated and wanted to do a character study. Gawd I love New Blood.  
> TW: racism

“Christ, Valerie, I’m so sorry.”

There was a period of an uncomfortably long silence where his partner didn’t respond, and Markus wondered if anything could be done to right all the wrongs that were made against her that evening. Valerie sighed, finally turning away from looking out of the window of the car to face him. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“I should have said something.”

“Knowing how you are with words, you probably would have made it worse.”

“Val…” Markus pulled over to the side of the road. There was no way he’d be able to focus on driving while having a deep conversation like this. “I know my family can be…insensitive at times, but a comment like that should not slide.”

_A few months ago, Markus received a letter from his cousin that the family was planning a Vaughn picnic to celebrate her recent engagement, and everyone wanted to know if he could make it. After some pestering from Val to let her meet Markus’s side of the family, Markus relented and planned a trip to California for their next extended vacation. While his parents knew about their son’s current relationship, today was their first time seeing Valerie in person. They were a little surprised, to say the least. Everyone was rather curious about her, as they would about any potential newcomer into the Vaughn family, and while Valerie felt a little uncomfortable with all the attention, thinking she was being treated like some sort of exhibit, she didn’t feel unwelcomed or put off by it. Besides, Markus was there and that gave her a little peace of mind. All was going well…until Markus’s father decided to talk to her._

_“So, you’re a doctor?”_

_“Yes, sir. I’ve been practicing for five years now.”_

_“You must be pretty smart then.”_

_“Heh…I mean, I’ve studied hard to get to where I am.”_

_It was then that Markus came up beside her and slung an arm around her shoulder. Valerie figured he must have been listening close by. “She’s a genius, dad. I don’t know where I’d be without her.”_

_“M-Markus…”_

_“I’ll take your word for it, son. People like her usually don’t end up becoming doctors.”_

_And that was the bomb that set off a shockwave of tension in the air. Markus’s jaw dropped. Valerie just stood where she was, a blank look on her face as her mind attempted to process what had just been said to her. It was unreal. For a moment, she was unsure if it was her to whom the comment had been directed to, but in all rationale, there was no one else it could be._

_There were many ways she could have responded. She could have slapped the man, and it would have been well justified, but the negative consequences drawn from that reaction would have severely outweighed her satisfaction. She could have yelled at him and insulted him back, but such a response would not bode well for her or Markus. So, she did her best to play it safe:_

_“People…like me?” She reiterated calmly, trying not to let her frustration and anger seep into her voice and give away how deeply she had been offended. She could feel Markus’s eyes on her the entire time, watching her intently and cautiously, anticipating her next move._

_Unfortunately, Markus’s father didn’t seem to notice the slight he just made against her, which made all of it worse. “Yeah, you know. Someone of your…” He paused, choosing his words carefully. The nerve. “Complexion.” He finished, gesturing around his face._

_Markus gaped, completely in disbelief at his father’s words. Valerie just nodded, releasing a sigh that she hadn’t noticed she had been holding in, then quietly walked away. She had to get out of there, suddenly feeling like she did not belong. The atmosphere had turned sour, and she felt like she was suffocating._

“I really appreciate you wanting to stick up for me, Markus.” Valerie placed a hand on his shoulder. “You know, as sad as it is to say, this isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with comments like that. Your dad’s was mild compared to what I used to hear.”

“I can only imagine.” Markus scoffed. “You would think that mindset would die out years ago.”

“I agree. I wish I could say I was used to it, but it still catches me off guard that people would have the _gall_ to say it to my face.” The irate feelings from before started to surface, so she tried to calm herself down before she could take it out on Markus. “Then again…I guess that’s also part of the reason why I became a doctor.”

Markus threw her a curious glance. “Care to explain? I can’t imagine dedicating yourself to saving the lives of people who hate you because of the color of your skin.”

Valerie smiled a little. “I grew up in North Carolina, in a pre-dominantly white town. Everybody was friendly towards my family, but I knew from an early age that we were different. And…there was one man who made that clear to us. He followed us wherever we went, insulting us, threatening us, trying to convince us that we didn’t belong.”

“What happened?”

“We filed a restraining order against him. That should have been the end of it, but…one day, I was out with my mom to go grocery shopping and…he was there in the parking lot with a gun. I’ll never forget this. H-He…he pointed it at us and said to ‘go back to Africa, you filthy—’”

Valerie repeated the word that was said to her, and Markus felt the acid in his stomach churn. He couldn’t begin to imagine how poor Valerie must have felt as she went through that at such a young age. “Disgusting.”

“To think that so much hatred could exist inside a person…for no reason at all besides a difference in genetics…it blew my mind. It made me wonder a lot about humanity.” She inhaled deeply. “When I see the patient lying on the operating table, I know nothing about their past life. For all I know, they could be just like that man who sees me as subhuman, inferior, all of those ugly slurs. But…the moment I pick up the scalpel, none of that matters. I hold their fate in my hands. And when they wake up, they will know that their life has been saved by that very person they despise.”

“Val…”

“That should give them something to seriously think about, r-right? Hopefully, it makes them reevaluate everything they believe in.” She laughed, but her voice cracked, and Markus could see her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

He reached for her hand, gently stroking the top of it, and he felt her tremble. “You’re really strong. I don’t know how I’d be able to handle something like that.”

Valerie sniffled. “Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to be, Markus, but people are so cruel. No matter how thick-skinned I’ve become…it still hurts.”

“Do you want me to kick my dad’s ass for you?”

“Heh, you would do that for me, would you.” She pulled him into her arms, and the two shared a tight embrace. Markus ran his hands up and down the curve of her spine, soothingly massaging her back as she rested her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat.

“It’s their loss, you know. They have no idea what an amazing woman you are. You’re beautiful, Val, inside and out.”

A smile found its way to her face, and she hoisted herself up in her seat to give him a kiss on the cheek. “You’re too sweet, Markus. But those people…they’re just ignorant. And…I have to admit, when your dad made that comment to me, I didn’t know what to think. It seems like he meant well, but I felt like he was subtly turning me away. Do you think he approves of our relationship?”

“My dad doesn’t have much experience with people outside of his own race. Doesn’t excuse his behavior.” He gave her a squeeze. “And, Val. I’m a 34-year-old man. I have a job, a house, and pay my own bills. If my parents don’t like who I take home to Thanksgiving dinner, well, they’re just going to have to deal with it.”

“Markus…”

“Really, Val. I’ll do anything for you. This night opened my eyes a little. If anyone or anything is making you uncomfortable, even if it’s my own family, then let me know. I’ll protect you.”

“I know you would. You did once before.” This time, Valerie moved to kiss him on the lips. It was a few seconds, but it was enough to spark the fire in his heart. He pressed up against her the best he could in his seat, touching her, tasting her, letting her know that he valued her, and she responded in kind to his affections.

A few minutes later, they slipped back into their seats, fixing their disheveled clothing. “Mm, making out in a car on the side of the road. I haven’t done that since high school.” Markus joked as he threw the car back into drive. Valerie just rolled her eyes.

“Oh, hush. I met your cousins, and I could have sworn I was talking to your clones.”

“Dry humor is a Vaughn family trait. Just a forewarning if you decide to stick around for the ride.” He winked. “Our kids will have it too.”

“Whoa, kids? We’re not even married yet!”

“True, but we’re already sleeping together. Seems like we’ve skipped that step.”

His comment was met with a swift punch to his stomach. “Ow! I’m driving here, Valerie!”

“Then zip it. No more smart remarks until we get back to the hotel.”

“You’re no fun.”

"That is..." She leaned in to whisper in his ear. "If you want to go to bed with your pants on tonight." 

Markus straightened himself up. "Yes, Ma'am."

Valerie smiled. She considered herself lucky to have someone like Markus by her side. While there would be some people who frowned on their relationship, they paid them no mind. They were happy together, and nothing, not even the world's deadliest disease, could ever break that special bond they shared.


End file.
